Who do you think will replace him, will you cry, which number do they retire if any at all?

"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and differentsun."

"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and differentsun."

Kobe is 100% my generation when it comes to Lakers basketball. I remember flipping the f out as a six year old when they traded for him in 96. Rashad did a piece on him for inside stuff leading up to the draft, and i fell in love with him from there. i remember all of the rumors around the lakers trying to get him, and when it happened, it seemed like a dream. i was the first kid in school with a Kobe jersey. Since then, i've kind of had a falling out with Kobe. My dad always has pushed the TEAM FIRST mentality on my as a fan, and because of that some of the stuff that went down between 2004-2007 i was kinda drawn away from Kob. Things are much much better now, but i'll never forget summer '07. This is an effing business. I'll never rule out the possibility of Kobe finishing his career somewhere else.

If Kobe retires as a Laker, i'll cry. It's like a glimmer of hope that the franchise player can remain fixture in the NBA. That, and the idea of it being the first big instance of a Lakers book being closed in my lifetime. A book that i followed all too closely, through the ups and the downs.

Kobe is 100% my generation when it comes to Lakers basketball. I remember flipping the f out as a six year old when they traded for him in 96. Rashad did a piece on him for inside stuff leading up to the draft, and i fell in love with him from there. i remember all of the rumors around the lakers trying to get him, and when it happened, it seemed like a dream. i was the first kid in school with a Kobe jersey. Since then, i've kind of had a falling out with Kobe. My dad always has pushed the TEAM FIRST mentality on my as a fan, and because of that some of the stuff that went down between 2004-2007 i was kinda drawn away from Kob. Things are much much better now, but i'll never forget summer '07. This is an effing business. I'll never rule out the possibility of Kobe finishing his career somewhere else.

If Kobe retires as a Laker, i'll cry. It's like a glimmer of hope that the franchise player can remain fixture in the NBA. That, and the idea of it being the first big instance of a Lakers book being closed in my lifetime. A book that i followed all too closely, through the ups and the downs.

great post

Again - this team, as currently constructed won't make it out of the second round of the playoffs, let alone the West or win the Finals.---fido on 2011 Lakers

I wouldn't want Kobe to retire at 40+. Younger players will run circles around him and I do not want to see Kobe in that situation. I want him to leave with a "winning" and "dominant" aura around him, not the guy who was great, but now is old and is taken advantage of.

For some reason i doubt it. if you look at the Lakers' history they want the guys who have that extra umph about them. Someone who is entertaining while winning. Magic, Shaq, Kobe....the guy that has that is KD, but I think Kobe's replacement is in high school, or junior high right now...IT might not be a shooting guard

Again - this team, as currently constructed won't make it out of the second round of the playoffs, let alone the West or win the Finals.---fido on 2011 Lakers